Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 79:10
Wherefore should the heathen say, Where [is] their God? let him be known among the heathen in our sight [by] the revenging of the blood of thy servants [which is] shed.
10. Wherefore &c.] The same plea in Psa 115:2 (cp. also Psa 115:1 with Psa 79:9); Joe 2:17. Cp. Exo 32:12; Psa 42:3; Mic 7:10.
let him be known ] Better:
Let vengeance for thy servants’ blood that is shed
Be made known among the heathen in our sight.
Defer not vengeance to some future generation: let us see with our own eyes the fitting punishment of the enemies of Israel. This verse and Psa 79:9 are based upon Deu 32:43. Note how the thought of vengeance goes side by side with that of deliverance in Isa 35:4; Isa 47:3; Isa 59:17; Isa 61:2; Isa 63:4; and in Jer 50:15; Jer 50:28; Jer 51:6; Jer 51:11; Jer 51:36, chapters which also probably date from the Exile.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Wherefore should the heathen say Where is their God? – The nations. Why should such a course of forbearance toward them be pursued as to lead them to ask the question whether God is able to punish them, or to come to the conclusion that he is not the God of those who profess to worship him. See Psa 42:3, note; Psa 42:10, note.
Let him be known among the heathen – Let him so manifest himself among them that they cannot but see that he is God; that he is a just God; that he is the Friend and Protector of his people.
In our sight – So that we may see it; or, so that it may be seen that he is our Friend and Protector.
By the revenging of the blood of thy servants which is shed – Margin, vengeance. The true idea is, Let the avenging of the blood of thy servants – the blood poured out, or shed, be known among the nations in our sight. The prayer is that God would so interpose that there could be no doubt that it was on account of the blood of his people which had been shed by their enemies. It is a prayer that just punishment might be executed – a prayer which may be offered at anytime.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Psa 79:10
Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is their God?
A bad spirit and a theological error
I. A bad spirit. Where is their God?
1. There is a tendency in wicked men to deal in it. This spirit always indicates–
(1) A mean nature.
(2) A malignant nature.
(3) A haughty nature.
2. There is a susceptibility even in good men to be pained by it. This is no sign of strength and greatness, but the reverse; the really great and strong man will feel no more the most cutting gibes of scorners than granite the drops of morning dew.
II. A theological error. The question implies that the true God would not allow His people to suffer oppression and death at the hands of others.
1. The creatures whom God has created with an inner sovereignty, He allows to act freely both for good and evil.
2. All the evil that comes into the universe in this way He overrules for good. (Homilist.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 10. Where is their God?] Show where thou art by rising up for our redemption, and the infliction of deserved punishment upon our enemies.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Their God; he whom they served, and of whom they boasted. He is lost and gone, or grown impotent or idle.
Let him be known among the heathen, by the execution of his judgments upon them, according to Psa 9:16.
In our sight; that we may live to see it, and praise thy name for it.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
10. This ground of pleadingoften used (Exo 32:12; Num 14:13-16).
blood . . . shed (Ps79:3).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Wherefore should the Heathen say, where is their God?…. They boast of, and put their confidence in, and expect salvation from? he does not appear for them, he is not with them; he has forsaken them, and will not help them; than which nothing can be more afflicting and distressing to the Lord’s people; see Ps 42:3,
let him be known among the Heathen in our sight; in his holiness and justice, as a God of power, and to whom vengeance belongs; let him be known by his judgments executed upon the Heathen, openly and publicly in our sight, and in the view of the whole world; see Ps 9:16, so it follows,
by the revenging of the blood of thy servants, which is shed; as in
Ps 79:3, which blood God will revenge according to the request of his people, and give them blood to drink by way of retaliation; by which means his vindictive justice will be known, and it will be seen where the God of his people is, that he is with them, and maintains their cause; see Re 6:9. The words may be rendered in connection with the preceding clause thus; “let it be known among the Heathen in our sight, even the revenging of the blood of thy servants which is shed”; though Kimchi supplies the words as we do, “by a revenging”, &c.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
10. Why should the heathen say, Where is their God? Here the people of God, in urging his name as a plea at the throne of grace: do so in a different sense from that in which they had urged it before. He extends his compassion towards us for his own name’s sake; for, as he is merciful, and will have our mouths stopped, that he alone may be accounted righteous, he freely pardons our sins. But here, the faithful beseech him that he would not allow his sacred name to be exposed to the blasphemies and insults of the wicked. From this we are taught that we do not pray in a right manner, unless a concern about our own salvation, and zeal for the glory of God, are inseparably joined together in our exercise. From the second clause of the verse, the same question may be raised which we have just now answered. Although God declares that he will execute vengeance upon our enemies, we are not warranted to thirst for revenge when we are injured. Let us remember that this form of prayer was not dictated for all men indiscriminately, that they might make use of it whenever impelled by their own passions, but that, under the guidance and instruction of the Holy Spirit, they might plead the cause of the whole Church, in common, against the wicked. If we would, therefore, offer up to God a prayer like this in a right manner, in the first place, our minds must be illuminated by the wisdom of the Holy Spirit; and, secondly, our zeal, which is often corrupted by the turbid affections of the flesh, must be pure and well-regulated; and then, with such a pure and well-tempered zeal, we may lawfully beseech God to show us, by evident examples, how precious, in his sight, is the life of his servants whose blood he avenges. The faithful are not to be understood as expressing any desire to be glutted with the sight of the shedding of human blood, (381) as if they longed greedily after it: they only desire that God would grant them some confirmation of their faith, in the exercise of his fatherly love which is manifested when he avenges the wrongs done to his own people. (382) It is farther to be noticed, that the appellation, the servants of God, is given to those who, nevertheless, were justly punished on account of their sins; for although he may chastise us, yet he does not forthwith cast us off, but, on the contrary, testifies thereby that our salvation is the object of his care. Again, we know that when the anger of God is extended over the whole body of the Church, as the good and the bad are mingled together in her, the former are punished in common with the latter, even as Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Daniel, and others, were carried into captivity. They were not, it is true, altogether faultless; but it is certain that so great a calamity was not brought upon the Jews on their account. In their person, there was rather set forth a spectacle to the ungodly, that they might be the more deeply affected.
(381) “ Car ce n’est pas que les fideles se veuillent yci souler a veoir espandre le sang humain.” — Fr.
(382) “ Laquelle apparoist quand il fait la vengence des outrages qu’on a faits aux siens.” — Fr.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(10) Wherefore.Taken from Joe. 2:17.
Let him be known.Better, Let it be known, i.e., where God is. Let the answer to the question be given in vengeance, and let us see it.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Psa 79:10. Let him be known among the heathen Make thyself known among the nations. Green.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Here is another most glorious argument for the church, or the sinner s to take to the mercy-seat; and furnishes another testimony that it is dictated by the Spirit of God. Jos 7:6-9 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Psa 79:10 Wherefore should the heathen say, Where [is] their God? let him be known among the heathen in our sight [by] the revenging of the blood of thy servants [which is] shed.
Ver. 10. Where is their God? ] See Psa 43:3 . So Turks at this day (when they have the better of Christians) cry, Where is the Christian’s God? We are the right Mussulmans, &c.
By the revenging of the blood of thy servants, &c.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Wherefore . . . ? Figure of speech Erotesis. App-6. Compare Psa 79:5.
By. Supply Ellipsis from the preceding line: “[Let] the avenging . . . [be known]”, &c.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Psa 79:10
Psa 79:10
“Wherefore should the nations say, Where is their God?
Let the avenging of the blood of thy servants which is shed
Be known among the nations in our sight.”
The desire of the psalmist that he and his contemporaries might indeed live to see God’s vengeance executed upon the pagan nations which God in their great calamity was using as his instruments in the punishment of Israel -that desire, alas, could not be realized. No short term punishment of rebellious Israel would have done any good. The wicked nation would be required to suffer in Babylon until the last vestiges of their conceit and false pride were purged away.
Another intention of God, it appears, was that Israel might be weaned away from their mad attachment to an earthly kingdom, but in that intention, the will of God was most certainly frustrated; because even in the times of Christ, racial Israel desired nothing in either heaven or upon earth quite so much as they desired the restoration of their evil earthly kingdom.
God did indeed execute the judgment of his righteous wrath upon Babylon and all of the pagan nations of that period; but he did not choose to do so “in the sight of” that generation. We believe that we can understand why.
In God’s finally being compelled, through moral necessity, to destroy Israel’s evil kingdom, the pagan nations of the whole world believed that Israel’s God had been defeated and that they no longer should honor him. Therefore, the great accomplishment of God achieved in the plagues of Egypt and the delivery of Israel into Canaan after driving out the wicked nations before them, was in a measure lost through the necessity of Israel’s destruction. It was for that very reason that not merely Babylon, but Egypt, and Tyre, and all the other pagan nations of the world were required to suffer God’s punishment, some of which, no doubt, might have been unnecessary if it had not been for Israel’s wickedness. Thus, the Israelites certainly did not deserve to witness God’s judgment upon pagan nations.
E.M. Zerr:
Psa 79:10. David always dreaded to be put to shame by the heathen. If the children of Israel should be punished very extensively, these enemies might laugh and say their God had failed them. In view of that motive the Psalmist called for a demonstration of God’s power in the sight of his injured people.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Wherefore: Psa 42:3, Psa 42:10, Psa 115:2, Joe 2:17, Mic 7:10
let him: Psa 9:16, Psa 58:11, Psa 83:17, Psa 83:18, Exo 6:7, Exo 7:5, Eze 36:23, Eze 39:21, Eze 39:22
by the: Jer 51:35, Rev 18:20
revenging: Heb. vengeance, Rom 12:19
Reciprocal: Exo 32:12 – should 1Ki 20:28 – therefore will 1Ch 16:35 – Save us 2Ch 14:11 – man Psa 9:5 – rebuked Psa 12:5 – oppression Psa 30:1 – hast not Psa 74:22 – Arise Psa 79:3 – Their Psa 89:50 – General Psa 109:21 – But do Psa 115:1 – unto us Isa 25:5 – shalt bring Isa 64:2 – to make Jer 14:21 – for Lam 3:46 – have Eze 20:22 – wrought Eze 36:3 – and ye Eze 37:28 – the heathen 2Th 1:6 – General
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Asaph continued to appeal for physical salvation on the basis of God’s honor. He asked for vengeance against the enemy that had slain many of God’s elect. He urged God to answer the prayers of the prisoners who appealed to Him for deliverance. He wanted a thorough repayment of the reproach the enemy had heaped on Yahweh’s name because the Lord had not given Israel victory.
"Such a prayer may trouble us, and we would not think to pray that way very often, but it is thoroughly biblical. The speaker is honest enough to know that yearning, and the speaker is faithful enough to submit the yearning to "God." [Note: Brueggemann, p. 72.]